


Crashing into you (baby, kiss me)

by bulletproofbackrubs, TheGrimLlama



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Bakery, Bakery AU, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 10:40:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5245259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bulletproofbackrubs/pseuds/bulletproofbackrubs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGrimLlama/pseuds/TheGrimLlama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca's moved from Portland to Atlanta to start her new job as a music producer at Residual Heat. She didn't ever expect to find a bakery better than the one at home. She didn't expect to fall in love, either.</p><p>Or.</p><p>That Bakery AU that nobody asked for, in which Beca is her awkwardly talented self and Chloe is sweeter than strawberry shortcake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the turtle squad](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the+turtle+squad).



Portland had been much colder than Atlanta. Beca had become accustomed to living in a constant haze of grey and drizzle. She almost took comfort in the crisp air and constantly pulling her sweater sleeves over her hands.  Atlanta was a nice change, surprisingly enough. Everything seemed more vibrant and colourful here. It was warm and inviting, an atmosphere so unusual to Beca it almost made her uncomfortable.  
  
Right now, though?   **That** wasn’t what was making Beca uncomfortable. She had wanted to be on time to her new job, if not earlyto make a good first impression. But turning up forty-five minutes early was perhaps not ideal. Because now she was sitting in the parking lot, bouncing her leg and drumming her fingers anxiously on the steering wheel as she tried to focus on anything but the family of butterflies flapping frantically in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Nervous wasn’t an emotion Beca was familiar with. Sure, she’s awkward and uncomfortable in most situations, but not _nervous_. But Beca was finally in a job where she could do something that she excelled at.  She could finally start to build the foundations of the job she’d dreamt of having since she was fifteen. And she really didn’t want to fuck it up.  
  
Getting this job at the recording studio had come as a total surprise for her. She’d had one or two over the phone interviews at most, as well as sending over some of her best mashups. That was all it had taken for Beca to secure a position.  They’d even asked her to fly out and start earlier than they had asked when she’d first applied. So, yes. Beca was understandably nervous. She finally figured that it was no good for her mental health to sit for any longer, contemplating possible disasters that could ensue on her first day (because if she thought any more about it she might have _actually_ throw up) she shoved the car door open, deciding to take a walk around the block of her office building.   
  
Back in Portland, every day before her internship at the radio station, she’d make time to visit the bakery across the street. Apart from her bedroom at home, it had been her favourite place to be. It was always toasty warm (bakery pun intended) and smelled incredible. It was a safe haven from the relentless drizzle outside and the realities of the rest of her life. But she mainly loved it because they do the _best_ caramel slices she had ever had in her life. The coffee had been average, and it did its job in keeping Beca awake enough to manage a laborious shift at the station. But the caramel slices where what she went for. It was probably the thing Beca would miss most about Portland.  
  
Beca hadn’t even thought about hunting down a bakery in Atlanta. It just seemed pointless. There was no chance she’d find one that did caramel slices as good as the ones at home. But coincidentally, on the corner of the street, after Beca had wandered around aimlessly and taking note of a small bookstore on the other side (she was a sucker for a crime thriller, OK?) there was a small bakery.   
  
Beca flicked her eyes up to the sign outside that said, “I-sing on the Cake.” Turns out, it doubled as a karaoke bar after 8pm on certain days, and Beca supressed an eye roll at the corny title.   
  
She really wouldn’t have bothered going in but breakfast had been impossible today, with the first day jitters clenching her stomach.  The smell of fresh bread and coffee right now was all too tempting. Pushing down on the handle, Beca stepped inside. Three silver bells tied to the door signalled her entrance, tinkling lightly and catching the attention of the two employees behind the counter.   
  
She looked around, taking in the atmosphere of the little place.  It wasn’t as small as her old haunt but it was every bit as cosy.  She breathed deeply, taking in the warm aromas of coffee and vanilla that permeated the air.  She made her way to the counter, nodding at the tall man behind the espresso machine and giving the young woman a tight smile. 

  “Hey new person!  Welcome to I-sing!” the woman said, a cheeky smile worked its way across her cheeks.  “Coffee, cake or both?” she added with a wink.

There was something about this woman, and the way the statement came with a quirk of an eyebrow, that made Beca wonder whether there may have been a hidden meaning behind her words.  “Uh, both… I guess?”

The woman behind the counter gave a soft laugh, but frown as her colleague leaned over, “You don’t sound so sure?  Maybe I can help your decision along.”

 “Nothing wrong with liking cake and coffee, Jesse.  Now… let me guess.  Latte, no sugar…” 

Beca nodded, “Impressive, you almost got me.  Extra shot of espresso please.

“Coming right up Hotshot! I’m Chloe, by the way.  This is Jesse…”

Beca nodded, were people always this friendly in Atlanta?  She didn’t even know the name of the bakery at home, and Beca wondered briefly what it was that made this place different, before Chloe leaned on the counter, still grinning like the Cheshire Cat and stealing Beca’s focus.  “So we currently have a problem.”

 “What?” Beca felt a twinge of anxiety at Chloe’s words, but surely a smile that big meant a joke was on its way.

Chloe crooked her finger, “Mhmm.  As wonderful as I seem, I’ve not yet mastered mind reading.  So I’m gonna need your order.”

Relaxing slightly, Beca leaned back, “What? You can guess my coffee order, but not cake?”

 “Unfortunately I’ve had a lot more experience with coffee than cake so…”

Beca felt her cheeks heat up, she still wasn’t sure if Chloe was intentionally playing the double entendre, “Well then, I’ll have the… caramel slice?”

Chloe rolled her eyes as Jesse cheered before handing Beca her coffee, “Coming right up… You look a little on edge.  Are you okay?”  Beca watched Chloe place the slice into a small cardboard box before picking up a sharpie and scribbling on the side.

Beca blew out a breath, running her fingers through her hair, “I start a new job with Residual Heat this morning.  They asked me to start early. And I guess I’m just nervous that I’ll turn up and they’ll ask me to leave.”

Chloe finished doodling and pushed the coffee cup across the counter with a grin, "You’ll be fine.  See you soon."

Beca gave Chloe a grateful smile and waved at Jesse, “Thanks guys.  I’ll definitely be back.”

Once she was out of the bakery, Beca glanced down at the swirly writing decorating the side of her purchase.  She smiled to herself, making a mental note to thank the effervescent redhead sooner rather than later. 

**_They’d only ask you to leave for making them look bad.  Enjoy your first day, Hotshot._ **

\--------------

That first day at the recording studio had actually gone much better than Beca had anticipated. People had been nice enough, and her boss seemed actually interested in the ideas she had pitched. So overall, a good start, she thought.

Well, she had managed to spill coffee on her new jeans. Twice. But whatever. Today was a new day. (And a new pair of jeans. Coffee stains are a bitch.)  
  
She was still unused to the Atlanta sun streaming into her window at the crack of dawn. Beca wasn’t sure if she liked it. She loved sleep. Early mornings were not her forte. But once the sun had hit her face through the gaps in the curtain, there was no chance of her getting another half an hour before her alarm. So she took some extra time to revisit the bakery, café, karaoke bar… whatever it qualified as, before returning to work for another shift.   
  
For no other reason than she had some extra time on her hands, _obviously_. Not because that caramel slice had been absolutely fucking incredible. And she hadn’t had time to do grocery shopping since moving anyway, so really, it was a matter of convenience. Really.  
  
The bells clattered against the door as it shut behind her, and Chloe flipped her head around at the noise from where she stood at the coffee machine.   
  
“Oh, hey Beca!” she said with a bright smile that almost literally took up her entire face, and Beca couldn’t help but return it with one of her own, laced with curiosity.   
  
“You remembered my name?”   
  
A flicker of something akin to confusion crosses Chloe’s face for a moment before she fixed an incredulous, amused look on Beca’s face. “Of course. I always pay attention to my customers,” she shrugs. “The hot ones anyway, at least.”  
  
Beca’s mouth dropped about three centimetres at that, eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. Were people always this flirtatious at 8am in Atlanta?   
  
It was rather touching actually, that someone had paid attention to her that much. Especially when she’d spent less than ten minutes in Chloe’s company yesterday, and almost 10 hours with the employees at Residual Heat, and they hadn’t remembered her name by the end of it. It was flattering, almost. And this fact did nothing to stop the heat that was currently crawling up Beca’s neck and around her jawline to settle on her cheeks.   
  
Beca opened her mouth to reply but only managed to take a steadying breath before Chloe saved her the trouble. “So. Same as yesterday? Those caramel slices are good, right?”  
  
Beca chose to ignore the fact that Chloe had remembered her order, as well as her name. Because yes, that caramel slice was actually insanely good, but Chloe said it like she already knew, and Beca found the temptation to tease her too much to resist.  
  
“Uh… It was alright, I guess,” she answered half-heartedly, adding a shrug give an air of disinterest.  
  
But Chloe saw right through it, pursing her lips amusedly and leaning a hip up against the counter. “Riiight. Well, then. Would you like to experiment with our options today then? We have a variety – people have different tastes, you know? Some days you just need something to satisfy yourself when you’re craving something extra sweet.”  
  
Sweet. Which was the only word that could possibly describe the smile on Chloe’s face at the time, despite the hint of mischief behind the bright blue of her eyes. There was a dusting of flour on one of her cheekbones, probably from an earlier brush of her hand to tuck away the red curls that were currently framing her face. (There was some in her hair, too.)  
  
And Beca tried not to find the whole thing endearing. Tried really hard. But it was just… too sweet.   
  
“Sure, go ahead. Give me something _sweet._ ”

Beca tried so hard to be subtle as she watched Chloe reaching into the case.  She was snapped out of her pervy daze by Jesse, who pushed a tray of hot muffins at her, "Careful, these muffins are almost as hot as me."

Beca gave him a tight smile, managing to curb the eye roll that was her default reaction.  "I think Chloe has something a little different in mind, actually.  Maybe next time though."

 Jesse shrugged and picked up a particularly deformed looking one, “Your loss.”  He bit into it just as Chloe stood up.  He let out a loud shriek, “Hot!”

Chloe let out a giggle as she pulled out her sharpie out of her pocket. “I already told her that she is, Jesse.  In any case, she probably owns a mirror.  Are you coming to karaoke tomorrow night?”

Beca gaped for a moment.  She was glad Chloe was focused on her coffee cup rather than her face.  She had a feeling she looked remarkably like a fish out of water.

 “Uh, tomorrow night?”

Chloe looked up and grinned, “Karaoke and coffee.”

 “Uh…  Is… Are..”

 “Three nights a week this place turns into a karaoke coffee bar.  Tomorrow night happens to be one of those nights.  And I guess, you probably sing like Beyoncé…”

Uh oh, Beca thought.  She quickly shook her head, “Um.  I don’t even sing.  But thanks, I might stop by.”

 “You’d better,” Chloe said, somehow making it sound like a threat that Beca might actually enjoy the repercussions of. 

There was a slight hesitation as Beca took the container and coffee cup, “See you soon?”

 “I’ll be here.”

The light sound of the bells reminded Beca of the grin Chloe was sporting as she doodled on the to-go cup.  She looked down at the cup and rolled her eyes.

**_Name down, number to go…_ **


	2. Bulletproof, nothing to lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beca is shy and smug, Chloe is flirty and also smug.

It was strange, in all honesty. Having someone be so friendly (if not flirty) towards Beca. She’d never really done the whole “friends” thing, despite her dad’s insistence in college. She was content to be by herself, never needed to seek someone out for company. It’s fine.  
  
Lonely, sometimes. But she’s used to it. Has been for years. It’s fine.  
  
Chloe’s invitation to join them at the karaoke bar yesterday had made her nervous, sent an electric thrill rippling through her chest when Chloe had jokingly threatened that she had better be there. She wasn’t used to spending time with people out of choice. Especially not people as warm and happy as Chloe seemed to be (Honestly, how can _anyone_ by that cheerful at 7am on a Monday?).  
  
But it’d be rude not to turn up, right? Beca wanted to be polite. And Chloe had outright asked her to come, which surely meant she wanted her there... The thought had Beca absently chewing on the inside of her cheek as she stood in front of her closet, pondering whether she should get dressed, or to shrug into a tshirt and boxer shorts and go to bed instead.  
  
It could be awkward, now that there’d be no customer-employee atmosphere. And Beca is awkward enough, without any additions to the situation. But her thoughts drifted to the messages Chloe had left on her cup this morning, and how there had been an extra strawberry in her box this morning.  
  
Beca sighed, reaching for her red biker jacket and black vest. It’d be rude not to turn up, right?  
  
\--------------

Chloe **_loved_**   karaoke nights. She just loved to sing, and any opportunity to do so just made her **so** happy. She was sitting at the table with Jesse and Benji, sipping a hot chocolate while they discussed what 80s movie soundtrack song they were going to duet with later. It was getting quite busy, and she smiled to herself, glad that people seemed to be enjoying themselves and wanting to get involved.  
  
Her eyes flicked over the crowd briefly, looking for a short, edgy brunette, but her search came up empty. She honestly hadn’t expected Beca to show up, anyway. It probably wasn’t her thing. But Chloe had hoped anyway. Beca seemed really cool, and Chloe liked the way she dressed for work. It was sophisticated, but still retained an air of sassiness that Chloe couldn’t help but be attracted to. She was funny, too. Sarcastic, but clever.  
  
She turned her head back to Jesse and Benji, trying not to be _too_ disappointed.  
  
“So, any ideas what your song choice is going to be tonight?” Jesse asked, popping a piece of croissant into his mouth.  
  
“I don’t know. I was thinking maybe Titanium by David Guetta.”  
  
A movement to her right caught her attention and she whipped round to face the distraction, only to be met by a pair of navy blue eyes framed with black eyeliner and a curious smirk.  
  
“You sure about that, Red? That’s quite a challenging song. You sure you can handle it?”  
  
Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. Beca had actually came. And she looked… incredible. A moment passed before Chloe remembered to close her mouth and realize that Beca was waiting for an answer.  
  
She rolled her eyes, reaching for her cup, hoping the casual movement would draw Beca’s attention away from her slightly flushed cheeks. “Please. I am always up for a challenge.”  
  
Beca raised an eyebrow, questioningly. “Is that so?”  
  
“Damn right it is.” The competitive streak in Chloe broke out, and she leaned in slightly towards Beca. “That song is my jam. My lady jam.” She confirmed, raising her eyebrows challengingly before leaning back and taking another sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes on Beca’s face over the rim of her cup.  
  
Beca’s face, which was currently not unlike a deer caught in headlights. Chloe tries not to laugh, rolling her lips together when she hears Benji and Jesse sputtering on their drinks having heard the whole thing.  
  
Beca cleared her throat, and rearranged her face to fix a skeptical look on Chloe’s face. “Right. I’ll believe it when I see it.”  
  
Downing the rest of her drink, Chloe set it down on the table with a clink. She tilted her head, giving Beca a curious look and humming thoughtfully. Beca’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.  
  
“Hmm. Well, maybe. If you play your cards right,” she said, punctuating it with a wink. “You’re on, Hotshot.”  
  
Beca’s eyed snapped wide open, and pressed her lips together before ducking under Chloe’s gaze. And honestly, Chloe would have laughed if it hadn’t been so endearing.  
  
  
Chloe sauntered away gracefully, but not before flipping her hair around to give Beca a smug look on her way to the sign-up sheet. She noticed Beca’s eyes widen, before shaking her head and lips quirking ever so slightly.  
  
She always enjoyed karaoke nights, but Chloe has a feeling she’s going to **_love_** tonight.  
  
After writing her name on the waiting list, Chloe returned to the table with an array of pastries and cakes that she’d stashed away early this evening. (Including a caramel slice _and_ a strawberry shortcake. You know, just in case Beca **had** decided to take her up on the offer to join them tonight. And in case she was in the mood for something extra sweet. Just in case. It was no big deal.)  
  
She managed to contain her smile as she watched Beca’s face light up at the treats, drawing her attention away from Jesse’s incessant babbling. Something about Beca’s comment about the predictability of Star Wars and the movie’s lack of spontaneity.  
  
Beca reached a hand out towards the plate, before Chloe had even set it down on the table and she slapped her hand away playfully.  
  
“Excuse you, Miss Impatience.” Beca stuck her tongue out in response, and Chloe laughed heartily before setting the plate down and sitting back down in her seat.  
  
Benji scraped back his chair and stood up from his seat. “Right guys. It’s 8pm. Let’s get down to business.” He snatched a cookie from the plate, giving a sheepish smile and wave before making his way over to the stage. (Well, more like a small raised platform at the back of the bakery, speakers tucked into the back and a small screen set up at the side).  
  
“Where is he going?” Beca questioned, leaning forward to take the strawberry shortcake from the plate and set it on a napkin in front of her. Chloe noticed that Beca’s nails had been painted a fiery red that matched her jacket -- as well as the strawberries -- and smiled to herself.  
  
“Oh! Benji is in charge of karaoke nights,” Jesse mumbled through a mouthful of pastry crumbs. “So, Beca. What are _you_ going to sing for us tonight?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.  
  
Chloe tilted her head expectedly at Beca. She knew Beca had said she didn’t sing, but Chloe just couldn’t believe it entirely. Beca had a really nice speaking voice. Smooth, and sometimes husky if was particularly early (It had been on Tuesday morning, when Beca had showed up to buy her coffee at 6.30am instead of 8am like the day before.) Plus, Beca had a career in _music._ At Residual Heat too, no doubt. Chloe thought she must be able to carry a tune. Sure, she stuttered her words sometimes – particularly if Chloe had said something flirty – but that was more endearing than anything else.  
  
But Beca was screwing her nose up and shaking her head. “No way, dude. I’m not getting up there.”  
  
Jesse nudged her with his shoulder, and she swayed exaggeratedly to the side. Chloe just watched the interaction amusedly.  
  
“Come on, don’t be a downer! I could totally give you a hand in finding out your vocal range.” It was playful and mixed with innuendo, and Chloe cringed inwardly. Beca though, didn’t bother to hide her discomfort, scoffing and giving Jesse a playful shove back.  
  
“Oh my God, dude!”  
  
“Jesse, stop trying to scar the poor little lady. We don’t want to lose such a lovely customer when we’ve barely gotten to know her yet.” Chloe said with a smile, and Beca dropped her eyes bashfully.  
  
Beca was probably the most adorable person Chloe had ever met. But, anyway.  
  
They all shared some light conversation, making criticisms or nodding along to other singers’ particular song choice. Beca had been quiet throughout the whole thing, and Chloe was concerned that Beca might be uncomfortable. She knew sometimes people found her quite forward and that could be overbearing (especially for someone as reserved as Beca). She worried that maybe it had been inappropriate to invite her tonight. But then Beca would light up when a certain song started, tapping her fingers on the table in perfect time to the beat. Or she would catch Chloe’s eye and give her a small smile, and Chloe’s stomach would flutter. And Chloe was able to forget her earlier doubts. She was really glad Beca had come along tonight.    
  
Around half an hour later, Beca had demolished her strawberry shortcake and finished a cinnamon latte (one that Jesse had been all too eager to buy for her) and Benji’s voice came crackling through the speakers, announcing that Chloe was up next to sing.  
  
“Alright, _Beca._ Be prepared to have your mind blown.” Chloe shrugged out of her cardigan and made her way to the stage, but not before noticing that Beca’s eyes had flicked across her frame when she’d walked away. The thought made her giddy, but she tried to focus on that too much. _Shake it off, Chloe._  
  
She spun back to the table, pointing at her eyes, then back at Beca, who sat back into her chair, a smug grin on her face.  Chloe picked up the microphone.  She knew a lot of the patrons who were sitting in various groups around the café, so she addressed the crowd, like she always did.  
  
“Hey everyone!”  There was a smattering of cheers and “Hi Chloe!”’s.  Chloe waved, “So… We have a new attendee tonight…. Now, I don’t know much about her, except that her name is Beca and that she’s totally not as bad ass as she looks.  Anyway, off topic.  So Beca actually questioned my karaoke abilities,” Chloe watched Beca sink further into her chair, her face heating up.  There was a round of loud laughter that gave Chloe the giggles.  She held up a finger at the crowd.  “Right, Benji.  You wanna queue my song?”  
  
Benji nodded and hit play on the laptop.  
  
Beca watched curiously as Benji started up the media player.  She was impressed.  Chloe certainly knew how to work a crowd.   
  
\---------------------------  
  
It was a skill that came with years of practice, though Beca figured that it may be thanks to the fact that most of the attendees were regulars.  Her eyes were glued to Chloe, taking in every minute movement.  It wasn’t creepy.  She was just intrigued.  Chloe had no nervous tics that Beca could see.  Obviously this is something she does on a regular basis.  That could certainly explain the lack of nerves, though tackling a song like Titanium?  Beca would be shaking like a leaf.  Her questions were answered when Chloe opened her mouth.  The opening notes were smooth as honey.  Chloe did know what she was doing.  Beca was fully expecting an average karaoke performance.  Clearly she’d underestimated Chloe.  She watched as Chloe tapped her foot to the beat, and even found herself harmonising silently in her head.  She could imagine Chloe standing in the booth at the studio clearly.  How was this woman still working in a café?  She sat back and enjoyed the rest of the performance, grinning as goose bumps ran up her legs when Chloe hit a particularly impressive note.  
  
The song ended and Chloe grinned as the crowd cheered, she loved performing.  She glance up at Beca who raised her coffee cup.  Chloe couldn’t help the shy giggle that slipped out as she passed the microphone over to the next singer.  
  
She walked back to the table, “Nailed it.”  
  
“You can sing dude,” Beca said, she sounded pleasantly surprised,  
  
Chloe shrugged, “And you didn’t believe in me.  It hurts.  Y’know.  Just here.”  Chloe pointed at her chest and laughed as Beca’s eyes followed only to be ripped away and focused on the window.   
  
Beca turned back finally, that awed expression still clear as day on her face, “Dude, you can sing.”  
  
Chloe slid into the chair next to Beca, “So you’ve said.”  
  
“Is it just that song or…”  Chloe watched as Beca screwed her eyes shut, clearly trying to think of a way to put her point across. “Do you… I mean clearly you sing other songs… But do you… like, have a youtube channel… or you know, aspirations other than being a baker?”  
  
Chloe laughed.  “Alright.  First of all.  I love being a baker.  Second.  It was not that good.  Relax Hotshot.”  
  
“You really don’t realise how good you are, do you?” Beca asked, her grin stretching confidently.   
  
Chloe shrugged, “It’s karaoke, Beca.  Not American Idol.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've had this chapter pretty much since the first one went up, but we like to build suspense ;) Hope y'all enjoyed it.


	3. Sweet Tooth

The following Saturday, was Beca’s first day off. As much as she was enjoying her time at Residual Heat, the long hours followed by a cross-country move and jetlag had been taking their toll. She’d gone to bed that Friday night pretty much as soon as she’d had her last mouthful of pizza.  
  
She’d woken around 10am, had a hot shower in hope of easing the tension out of her back muscles – airplane seats were so fucking uncomfortable to nap on -- and finally got around to putting up new furniture and making her new apartment look more like a home.  
  
But ikea flat packs were quick and convenient, Beca was done by midday.  
  
After slipping the last one of her vinyls into the shelf, Beca’s stomach growled. The fridge and cupboards were still pretty much bare. (She still hadn’t found time to buy real food. And besides, Beca _despised_ grocery shopping).  
  
Tapping her hands on the bench, Beca considered biting the bullet and driving down to the supermarket. That was until she realized she was unconsciously tapping to the beat of Titanium on the bench. Her mind flew to that previous Wednesday, at how unique and pretty Chloe’s voice had been. Seriously, what as a voice like that doing in a bakery?! Despite the fact Beca would do unthinkable things for one of Chloe’s strawberry shortcakes (they were just _so_ good), she had no doubt Chloe had a talent that should not be wasted.  
  
She smiled fondly, remembering the way Chloe had stolen half a strawberry off of Beca’s plate and smiled so innocently that Beca couldn’t do anything but smile back at her.  
  
Chloe wouldn’t find it weird, surely, if Beca showed up at the bakery today. She’d complained the morning before when Beca had informed her she wouldn’t be in the next day. Chloe’s respondent pout would have probably made her melt on the spot if Jesse hadn’t knocked his knee on the back of hers as he walked past to deliver someone’s coffee, knocking her off balance.  
  
She’d also said that Chloe was working the shift mostly on her own Saturday morning.  
  
  
  
(“Saturday’s are _so_ quiet. It’s going to be incredibly boring.”  
  
“I’m sure you’ll find some trouble to get yourself into,” Beca quipped with a wink. Chloe’s cheeks were almost as red as her hair.)  
  
  
  
Beca had literally nothing to do today – grocery shopping doesn’t count – and she’d already been awake two hours. Her blood was low on caffeine. And she was really craving something sweet this morning.  
  
She _could_ go to I-sing. Saturdays were quiet days, right? She could take her laptop and get some work done… Plus, a little company might be nice for Chloe, considering she’d be mostly alone all day. Beca wondered when and why she started to care about such things.  
  
But she didn’t dwell on it for too long. Her stomach growled again and sighing, she reached for her leather jacket and car keys. Swiping her laptop bag off the couch where it had been dumped the night before, and she was out of the door.  
  
\-----  
  
If Chloe had known Beca was going to come in today, she probably would have made more of an effort with her hair. But Beca had _told_ Chloe she had a day off, so she was obviously thrown off guard when Beca slipped into the empty bakery at 12.30pm.  
  
Instinctively her hand flew to her hair, pushing it back behind her ears and throwing Beca a mega-watt smile. Beca’s mouth twitched up in response, nodding her head upward once to greet her. Chloe doesn’t think she’s seen anyone make such a casual movement so attractive.  
  
“Beca! You’re here! I didn’t think you’d be here – isn’t it your day off?”  
  
Beca’s eyes widened slightly, akin to what a child may look like when a parent tells them they know they’ve stolen an extra cookie out the jar.  
  
“Oh… Yeah. But you know, gotta get my caffeine hit somewhere.”  
  
Bracing herself on the bench, Chloe leaned over the counter slightly. “You’re not turning into a caffeine junky are you? Do we have to start giving you decaff?”  
  
Beca gave a reluctant smile, looking up at her. “No, dork. I came to get some work done. You said it was quiet on Saturdays, right? Plus, I kind of have a sweet tooth this morning, too.”  
  
Chloe quirked an eyebrow, cocking a hip to the side. “Sugar cravings, huh? So you _are_ turning into a junky.” Beca only rolls her eyes. “Well I’m sure we have something that will satisfy your needs. Do you want the usual? Take a seat and I’ll bring it over,” she says, gesturing to the various empty tables scattered across the room.  
  
“Oh. Are you sure?”  
  
Chloe supressed a grin. “Beca. It my literal _job_ to serve you. Now go sit your cute butt down, and I’ll be over in a second.”  
  
“Right.” Beca nods once before making her way to the chairs by the window. She stops halfway, swinging her head around towards Chloe.  
  
 Who was _not_ checking Beca out. Honestly. Just admiring her jeans, that’s all.  
  
Beca must have caught her staring though, because her eyebrows raise questioningly when she catches Chloe’s eyes. Luckily she doesn’t say anything about it though. Instead, she just says “And yeah, the usual” before sitting down and opening her laptop.  
  
Chloe’s pretty sure her face is about as red as the strawberries on Beca’s order.  
  
She watches Beca subtly as she prepares the coffee and cake onto a tray. Already, she’s immersed in whatever she’s doing on her laptop, absurdly large headphones covering her ears. It makes her look even smaller, which Chloe find adorable. Beca is already tiny. But she also looks super hot in them, which doesn’t help Chloe’s developing crush.  
  
Because, yes. Ok. She had a crush on Beca Mitchell. Big deal.  
  
It was kind of hard _not_ to. Everything about Beca was attractive – even the piercings which Jesse had commented made her look quite intimidating.  
  
  
  
(“Jesse. They’re _piercings_. It’s not like she has a gun strapped to her hip.”  
  
“Yeah, but still. She’s obviously hot, but you have to admit. That ear spike is scary.”  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Beca is miniature. She’s probably the least scary adult in this town. I bet she could still take you, though.”  
  
Chloe had gotten flour in the face for that one.)  
  
  
  
She walked over and placed Beca’s coffee and cake on the table. Beca, so wrapped in her work, barely noticed until Chloe was directly next to her table. She looked up from her laptop, flashing Chloe a “thank you” smile. It didn’t show her teeth, but it was genuine and beautiful. A rare thing from Beca, she’d noticed. It made the edges of Chloe’s chest flutter.  
  
On her way back to the counter, Chloe put 100% of her attention on not tripping over.  
  
Benji came in for his shift at 1pm, giving Chloe a high five before tying his apron. “Hey Chloe. Feel free to take your lunch break now.”  
  
After making herself a hot chocolate at the machine and hanging her apron up in the cupboard behind the counter, Chloe strode over to where Beca was still sitting in the same position, only she’d removed her jacket and her coffee was empty.  
  
“Hi,” she said brightly. Beca pushed down the space bar, and Chloe found herself watching Beca’s fingers move over the keyboard. She brought her eyes back up when Beca lifted her hands to push the headphones around her neck and pull her hair around to one side.  
  
“Hi yourself.”

“What are you working on?  Business or pleasure?” Chloe asked, knocking her knee against Beca’s.  There was a momentary stare down.  Beca took the pause to wet her lips slightly and Chloe’s eyes flicked to watch its movement. Beca only looked amused. “Well, it was business until you turned up…”  
  
It was probably embarrassing, the colour of Chloe’s cheeks just then. And she’d probably care about it a little if she wasn’t too busy smiling.

  
\----------------------------  
  
Beca wasn't usually a proud person, but it was the only way to describe the feeling she got when she noticed the blush that coloured Chloe's cheeks.  
  
"How's the cake?" Chloe asked, ducking her head to sip her hot chocolate and lowering her eyes.  
  
It was goddamn _adorable_. Chloe had never seemed like a person to be so effected by offhand comments like the one Beca just made. From day one, she had oozed an unabashed confidence.  
  
Beca had once briefly considered Chloe to be completely lacking the ability to be embarrassed. Before Beca’s mind could start replaying the way Chloe’s lips had moved around the microphone to Titanium (her _lady jam_ , for Christ’s sake), she leaned forward and popped the last bite into her mouth.  
  
"The _cake?_ Perfect, as usual... The shortcake was pretty good too..."  
  
She’s not really sure where this spontaneous (and admittedly rare) bout of confidence is coming from, especially if it’s making Chloe smile like _that._  
  
Chloe bit her lip and looked up through her lashes, “You’re on fire this morning…”  
  
Beca shrugged, “Yeah, well. I could say the same about a certain lady’s hair. It must be catching.” she said with a wink and a click of her tongue.  
  
The blush on Chloe’s cheeks deepened as the smirk on Beca’s face grew.  “What are you working on?”  
  
“Eh, it’s just a mash up… Nothing serious. Just trying to get a feel for stuff for when or _if_ I manage to make something original that’s halfway good. This one has been stuck in my head for a while though…Kinda just needed to get it out.”

Chloe leaned slightly, trying to differentiate the multitude of tiny windows.  Beca turned the screen slightly and pointed at a coloured list down the side of one window, “These are the original songs I’m using, and others in similar shades are clips or slices…”  
  
“Is that Titanium?”

Beca grinned, “Sure is.   I’ve almost finished.  Want to hear?”  
  
Curiosity was apparently enough to convince Chloe to throw caution to the wind, despite her previous nerves. Usually Chloe can handle herself around pretty girls. She’s never usually this… flustered. But Beca was looking at her with an eyebrow raised and a curve to her lips, and honestly she needed to stop this because it was making Chloe weak.  
  
The fact that Beca was offering her headphones, to a mix _she’d_ made of Titanium, a song that was able to spike Chloe’s heartrate and fingers twitch in the first few beats. Yeah. That probably should have been the first red flag.

The infernal smirk that Beca was directing at her should have been the second.  
  
The third should have been the determined way that Beca flicked her thumb across the space bar before resting an arm across the back of her chair, body twisting towards Chloe.  
  
But Chloe **loved** music. And Beca was sharing something with her, something personal. And she was all too intrigued and excited to even notice the flags be raised.

The opening notes of her favourite song filtered through the head set, and Chloe’s eyes fluttered shut, mouth settling into a contented smile.  It didn’t take long for the familiar reaction to start.  Her cheeks were the first to flush, followed by her neck, gradually warming her entire body. She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on the movement, determined to keep at least a small bit of composure as the sounds of _Bulletproof_ wove through.   Well, it was a good plan, until Beca tapped her on the shoulder, just as an absolutely filthy bass drop dragged the song into the depths of her stomach. Her jaw dropped and eyes snapped open, and the completely involuntary gasp of surprise was cut off completely as she slapped her hand across her mouth.   
  
Beca was laughing, absolutely killing herself.  Chloe’s reaction to the bass drop had far exceeded her expectations.  She’d been thinking about a way to get her back for the lady jam comment at karaoke the other night.  What better way to do it than to remix her favourite song right?  Gauging her reactions, Beca thought it was safe to assume that Chloe hadn’t actually been lying about the whole _lady jam_ thing. She’s seen it, now she _definitely_ believes it.  
  
“It’s good right?” Beca said as Chloe gently lowered the headphones, clearing her throat.  Beca figured she was collecting herself as she passed the headphones back.  
  
When she finally looked at Beca she chuckled to herself, “I’m going to need a copy of that.  Sooner, rather than later.”  Maybe it was the gravel that coated Chloe’s voice, or maybe it was the way her lips curled slightly as she winked.  Either way, Beca fumbled with her headphones as Chloe once again gained the upper hand.   
  
“I… I’ll get it to you asap then…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, we've had this ready for aaaages. But we love a slow burn, I guess? 
> 
> Enjoy, awesome nerds.


	4. Teasing and Tattoos

Chloe was unsure.  Today was her day off, but she still felt the urge to go into the café.  She tried to convince herself it was because she was wanting to try out the new shortbread recipe her Meemaw had sent over, but honestly, who was she kidding?  She was hoping that Beca would come in again.  Yesterday’s interaction had cemented Chloe’s need to get to know the aloof producer.   
  
She dried her hair and slipped into the sundress she’d bought earlier in the week.  She scanned the room, her eyes landing on the three stands and guitar case in the corner.  She vaguely remembered Beca mentioning that she hadn’t played in a while.  On a whim, Chloe crossed the room removed the Epiphone from its pride of place, and stored it in the hard case.  She clipped it up and shouldered the case.   
  
The drive to the café was tense.  Chloe knew she shouldn’t feel nervous, but she was really hoping that all would go to plan and Beca would turn up at the usual time.  She knew this was kind of brazen, sneaking in on her day off to kidnap a friend ( _Beca was a friend now, right?)_ for an impromptu jam session.  She pulled into the back parking lot, finding her usual spot empty, which honestly was a miracle considering it was a busy Saturday morning.  She reversed her car into the park with the ease of hundreds of early mornings of practice.   
  
There was a moment of tapping fingernails on the wheel and lip gnawing. A small moment of doubt that she quickly quashed with a glance in the rear-view mirror.  Chloe wasn’t the type of girl to deny herself something she wanted, and for some strange reason, _(other than the fact that Beca was extremely hot)_ she wanted to get to know Beca.  She felt drawn to the young producer.  There was something about her, maybe it was the underlying playfulness that threatened to peak out from the many layers of angst and eyeliner, that made Chloe want to know why Beca was the way she was.  
  
She flipped her visor back up, scrunching her curls one last time before dragging her guitar case between the seats.  Whose bright idea was it to get a two door car anyway?  
  
  
She checked her watch. 9:45am. She had fifteen minutes.  Beca was as punctual as Big Ben.  Chloe shook her head, they were polar opposites in that manner.  Chloe was forever running late.  She even had a watch to prove it, the numbers on the face were piled at the bottom and across the top read, _whatever, I’m late anyway._   It had been a graduation gift from her best friend during college.  It was a running joke.  She still got reminder messages from time to time, when she’d told Aubrey that there was an important date or function approaching.   
  
Reaching the door of I-sing, Chloe struggled to open the door, having stupidly decided to forgo a handbag for the day.  She tried for the third time, using her elbow to lever the handle when she heard a chuckle behind her.  She felt her cheeks burn as she realised who was behind her.  
  
It was kind of humiliating, how Chloe knew what Beca’s laugh sounded like already. _But it was cute, OK?_  
  
“Need a hand?”  
  
Chloe turned around, cheeks aflame, “Good morning, Mitchell.  How’s the day off?”  
  
She turned around to find Beca, leather satchel slung over her shoulders and hair hanging in loose curls.  She looked far more relaxed than Chloe had seen her yet.   
  
Beca gave Chloe one of her patented half-shrugs, “Well, I was just gonna sit at this really dorky café for a few hours.  Maybe get some writing done…”  
  
Chloe almost dropped her guitar in shock, Beca had certainly kept that part of her job under wraps.    “You write songs?”  
  
“Uh, I’m a producer…That’s sort of what I do… Do you want me to get the door or are we gonna stand here and pretend you didn’t come in on your day off just to see me.”  
  
Chloe’s face, having previously retained its composure, burned.  “That’s not… I… I came in because I wanted cake.”  
  
Chloe closed her eyes as Beca quirked an eyebrow at her, she walked right into this one.  
  
“Cake or _cake?_ Because, I’m pretty sure, given your vocation, you could’ve satisfied one of those on your own.”   
  
Whatever had gotten into Beca these past few days was _really_ throwing Chloe off balance. When they had first met, pulling more than a few words out of Beca had felt like trying to pull teeth. (Admittedly less painful, but just as difficult). This confident, relaxed and downright saucy Beca was leaving her unbelievably flustered.  She decided to bite the bullet and remove any pretence.

“Vocation?  I’m impressed. See?  You’re not just a pretty face.  Wanna grab a coffee and head to the park with me?”  
  
Beca’s eyes widened in surprise, looking almost confused. Chloe wondered why the idea of someone wanting to hang out with her would be so surprising to Beca. She ducked her head slightly, pushing her hair behind her ears and Chloe knew she was slowly winning back her advantage.  “Uh, yeah.  Okay.”  Beca reached around Chloe and pushed the door open, letting her walk in first.  “So, why are you lugging around a guitar?  Or are you just pleased to see me? Or maybe you’re hiding a Tommy gun in there? Is putting people at gunpoint your new marketing tactic?”  
  
“Ha-ha… You’re funny.  I was gonna buy you coffee and shortcake, but you know what…”  
  
Beca laughed, “Do you want me to carry it?  You look like you’ve got your hands full.”  
  
Chloe couldn’t help the tiny grin that slipped onto her face, “This guitar case is bigger than…”  
  
“Finish that sentence and I’ll reconsider my decision to accompany you to the park.  Dude, you’re like, two inches taller than me… Not even.”

****

Twenty minutes later, Chloe and Beca arrived at their destination.  A small park about two blocks away from I-sing.  Chloe spread out the blanket that she keeps stored in the back of her car, ( _“Because, Beca. Who knows when you might need one. Maybe for an impromptu jam session in the park. Or for a spontaneous night gazing at the stars on the roof of your car?” “….You’re ridiculous.” “Thank you.”)_  
  
Sitting as gracefully as she could considering she was in a dress, Chloe stretched out the corners of the blanket and leaned back on her forearms.  Beca placed the paper bag containing their snacks off to the side and sat at the opposite corner of the blanket.  
  
She was still uncomfortable at the idea of _having a friend._    
  
She was also still coming to terms with the massive crush that had hit her with the force of a freight train.  
  
Chloe was attractive, clearly. ( _Crazily and stupidly beautiful, actually, if Beca was being honest. But she wasn’t, so.)_ But the thing was, Beca doesn’t _do_ crushes. Has barely even done the relationship thing. Never been something she’d even thought about considering.  
  
Maybe it was due to lack of time. Or the life-upending disaster that had been her parents’ divorce when she was fifteen. Either way, Beca doesn’t _do_ crushes. So admittedly, she was a little bit thrown by the realization that had dawned upon her when she’d watched Chloe swipe a drop of hot chocolate from the corner of her lip and had imagined herself doing it.  
  
She seemed to be handling this awareness pretty well so far, she thought. If you didn’t count her persistent need to tap her hands against any nearby surface and the squeeze in her chest any time Chloe had so much looked at her since they left the bakery, that is.  
  
Beca nods her head towards the guitar case at Chloe’s side as Chloe reaches for the bag of pastries. “So, dude. What’s this all about?”  
  
Chloe just grins at her, dipping her hand inside the bag to pull out her blueberry muffin. “OK. Fine, I _did_ come to see you on your day off,” she says with a shrug. “But I wanted to hang out with a really cool chick today, and I go after what I want.”  
  
“No other cool chicks you know of?”  
  
“Not any that I want, no.”  
  
Beca watches Chloe peel the paper case from around the muffin, determined not to break eye contact despite the growing flush across her neck and cheeks. _Dear God, what is this woman **doing** to her? _She’s really not sure if this counts as “flirting.” Beca’s not had much experience in that area. But from what she’s seen other people do, and on TV, the way Chloe is looking at her now, with batting eyelashes and a sly smirk, suggests it really, totally counts.  
  
But she doesn’t want to assume. Because Beca actually _likes_ spending time with someone for a change. And she really doesn’t want to fuck things up with one of the only friends she’s made in Atlanta. Plus, it’d made things super awkward and Beca goddamn loves those strawberry shortcakes. And she won’t lose them over being stupid and naive. __  
  
“So, I’m guessing you play guitar. Because if you don’t, this whole situation makes you even more weird than I thought you were.”  
  
Chloe brushes off the teasing insult with a roll of her eyes. “Yeah. Since I was 12. Just for fun, mostly, like singing. Hence,” she motions to Beca and the space around her, “this little improvisation. I am skilled with my hands in some things other than baking you know, Becs?”  
  
She actually dares to wink, and something flares up inside Beca. That rare confidence that Chloe seems to be instilling in her _a lot_ lately. Apparently Chloe’s otherworldy confidence is contagious.  
  
“Yeah? Well, Miss Beale. You’re not the only one with skilful hands. I _did_ used to be a DJ. And that job requires some serious finger dexterity.”  
  
She takes the opportunity in Chloe’s shy silence to unclip the guitar case hiding her smirk behind her hair, and sets the guitar on her lap. It’s an acoustic. A simple, sleek black Epiphone. Beca runs her hands delicately over the strings, and looks up and Chloe who is now watching her with a concentrated expression.  
  
“May I?” Chloe nods enthusiastically, and Beca pushes her sleeves up to her elbows. She’s just about to twist the guitar to a more comfortable position on her lap when Chloe’s squeal makes her hands fumble and she nearly drops it.  
  
“You have _tattoos?_ ” __  
  
Beca barked out a laugh. “Yeah. A few, actually,” she said, holding out her wrists towards Chloe, showing her the headphones that decorated her left wrist, and the grasshopper on her right forearm. Chloe touches her arm gently and the hairs on Beca’s arm stand on end. Chloe looks closer at them with a soft smile. “You like ‘em?”  
  
“Yeah. They’re super pretty.” And Beca believes her.  
  
“Well Beale, if _you_ play _your_ cards right, you might get to see the rest of them,” Beca drawls, raising her eyebrows challengingly at Chloe. Chloe’s eyes widen in slight surprise, but she doesn’t falter. Her gaze moves slowly across Beca’s body, and suddenly Beca’s feeling exposed. _Not what was supposed to happen._  
  
Chloe raises her own eyebrows at Beca, and a smirk creeps onto her face. Beca’s breath hitches in her throat. “And if I like _those_ ones as much as I love these,” she quips, running her fingertips down Beca’s arms, “you might get to see mine too.”  
  
Then Chloe is sitting back in her original spot, cracking open a bottle of water as though she hadn’t just possibly given Beca a heart attack. “You…. You um, you have tattoos?”  
  
“A few, actually.”

There was a brief pause, which Beca used to twist the guitar and tested her fingers against the frets.  She hadn’t picked up a guitar outside of work in a while, but she knew that she needed to cool off or she’d say something that she wouldn’t be able to take back.  Suddenly, Beca found herself reaching for the tab on the neck of the case.  She had a song in mind and was hoping that Chloe had the foresight to carry a capo.  Sure enough, there was one tucked away in the little compartment.  She clamped the strings at the fourth fret. 

She started plucking the strings, creating a soft rhythm that she’d worked out the other day in the office.  As she reached the start of the first verse, the rich, honey tones of Chloe’s voice joined the angelic strums of the guitar in her hand.  

The soft gravel that Beca often heard Chloe use first thing in the morning gave her voice depth to carrying the first few lines.  _She was something to behold, elegant and bold.  She is electricity running through my soul._

Beca could feel a smile tugging at her cheeks as Chloe moved onto the chorus, she caught Chloe’s gaze and ducked her head, silencing the strings with a light pat.

 “Why’d you stop?” Chloe asked, resting a hand on Beca’s thigh.  Beca gently lay the guitar down on the blanket beside her and looked up at Chloe.  She was fully aware of the blush that was creeping up her neck thanks to the warmth of Chloe’s eyes.

 “Because when you’re looking at me like that…  It…   Fuck it.”

Beca gave up trying to form a sentence and leaned across, tangling her fingers gently in Chloe’s hair.  It didn’t take Chloe long to catch up once Beca’s lips were pressed against hers.  She tasted exactly how Beca had imagined, (because, yes, she’d imagined.  Chloe was amazing, and Beca was only human), like someone had taken the bakery supply of vanilla, mixed it with a dose of sunlight and added just a hint of happiness.  They were warm, smooth as the coffee they’d just been sipping.

All those metaphors that Beca used to scoff at?  She finally understood. 

 


	5. Crushcrushcrush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the delay! We've both been tied up over the Christmas period, never got long enough to collaborate on an update unfortunately. But we're back on track hopefully -- so here's a shortish chapter to end the wait :)

Pacing had always been one of Beca’s vices.  She paced when she was angry.  She paced when she was bored.  But it was worse when she was nervous.     
  
Right now, after her awkward show of _bravery_ (or stupidity) yesterday, she found herself pacing the pavement in from of i-sing, making sure not to be seen from the window.  
  
She wasn’t sure where the nerves were coming from.  She and Chloe had spent a wonderful afternoon together. After their “jam session” in the park, Chloe had shown Beca one of the city’s hidden gems, a little arcade dotted with vintage record and music stores.  The stores were so tiny that many of the proprietors were perched outside on stools and milk crates, each adding their own sound to the music that filled the tiny laneway.    
  
Beca was in awe.   The mixture of sounds and styles all being mashed together made her heart soar _._ She’d ended up buying something from each of the eight stores and had set up the steelpan that she’d bought from the first shop.  They had spent a good three hours jamming with the group, who, despite being in direct competition with each other, were clearly all friends.  They’d shared their stories with the two women, Chloe had even joined in, sharing stories about her acapella days in college.  Beca had left that afternoon, thoroughly inspired for a new album sound and had thanked Chloe, who didn’t let her leave without a with a kiss on the mouth and made Beca promise to call.  She’d been so preoccupied at the studio over the next few hours, that it was nearly 11pm before she remembered her promise to Chloe.  
  
Now here she was, pacing the pavement, a bouquet of lavender clutched in one hand, with a tiny flashdrive of yesterday’s efforts tied to the stems with twine that she’d found stashed in the kitchen drawer.  
  
Too many questions were floating around her head at once. Was Chloe going to be mad that she didn’t call? Had she wanted to kiss Beca goodbye, or had she just been being polite? Did she think Beca regretted the whole day and didn’t want to speak to her because she didn’t call? Beca didn’t, not 100% anyway, know if it was _okay_ with Chloe that Beca had kissed her. The expression on her face had been shocked more than anything, eyes blue and bright and staring searchingly into Beca’s when she had pulled away. However, the smile that had came after, a small shy tilt to her lips -- that seemed to stay a permament fixture on Chloe’s face for the rest of the day -- gave Beca the impression that it had, in fact been a good move on her part.   
  
At the memory of Chloe’s smile, Beca felt a surge on confidence rising up from her toes and into her hands, which she shook out before pushing open the door the bakery. It was just Chloe after all, she told herself.  Even if she _was_ just being nice yesterday, she was too kind to thoroughly embarrass Beca in front of the other patrons. She noticed Chloe bopping along to the song that was playing through the sound system. Beca knew she was staring; she couldn’t help it.  There was something inherently sexy about Chloe Beale.  Even wearing a floured apron with dustings of sugar in hair, she moved with a rhythm that made Beca’s heart beat a little faster.    
  
She caught Chloe’s eyes, watching the moment of recognition light her face up like a Christmas tree.  
  
“Becs! Hi!”  
  
Beca smiled sheepishly, “I forgot to call.  I’m sorry.”  She pushed the flowers into Chloe’s hands, watching the shy smile that replace Chloe’s previous smile.    
  
“What’s this?” Chloe asked, tugging the knot that held the flashdrive in place.  
  
“An apology for being a dick and forgetting to call,  I ended up sleeping at my desk, because - ”  
  
Before she could even finish her explanation, there was a hand at the back of Beca’s head, and her lips were fused with Chloe’s from across the counter.    
  
“Good morning.”  Her murmur was filled with mirth when she saw Beca’s doe-eyed surprise and reddening cheeks.  
  
“You are at _work_.”  
  
“I know this.  But you brought _flowers._ And I had to stop you from rambling somehow, and I think that was a good way of accepting your apology. Don’t you?” Chloe said with a wink.  
  
Beca’s nerves had seemingly been shocked out of her system with the shock of Chloe’s bold move, and she felt the comfortable confidence she usually feels around Chloe sweep over her again. “Wow.  I can’t wait to see the thank you I get for what’s on that flash drive…”   
  
Beca grinned, pleased with herself when Chloe blushed slightly. Any response was cut off by Jesse exiting the kitchen.  
  
“Morning Hotshot!” he said with a grin, heading straight for the espresso machine.  Beca tried not to grimace at his use of Chloe’s nickname for her. “Chloe making you wait?”  
  
“Yeah, she’s being _so_ rude,” she said, flicking her eyes quickly at Chloe to catch her wry smirk. “All I wanted was a coffee and some shortcake, but here she is, wasting my time.”  
  
“Um, sorry to disappoint but,  you’re not getting cake.  You’ve had enough sweetness already this morning.  
  
Beca raised an eyebrow, “Are you hearing this Jesse? I think you may need to reconsider who employ at this place.”  
  
“Sure am.  But unfortunately, I can’t fire her; she’s the best baker in the city.”  He nudged Chloe’s side who yelped in surprise, before wiggling his eyes at Beca. “I hear you two had an eventful day yesterday…”  
  
Beca raised an eyebrow at Chloe who shrugged, “I haven’t told him anything.  Jesse has spies everywhere.  It’s probably Lilly.  She works next door for the surveillance company.”  
  
Jesse just rolled his eyes. “Chloe, you took her to the arcade.  Beca bought a steelpan from my grandfather.  He recognised Chloe from a photo I’ve got of our first karaoke night. Says he saw Chloe kiss you goodbye.” Beca flushed at that, avoiding looking at Chloe who she could see was smirking at her from the side. She really didn’t want to talk about, well, any of this while Jesse was here. Or anyone else except Chloe for that matter. Thankfully, he changed the subject somewhat. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed.” He didn’t _look_ too disappointed, just shrugged and grinned at Beca. She still felt a little guilty though. Jesse was a really nice guy.  
  
Beca bit her lip, “Sorry dude.  I thought my preference was fairly obvious.”  
  
“Oh, it is… But a guy can dream…” His eyes flicked between the two girls, before they seemed to glaze over. After a moment, Beca gasped in horror and pushed herself up onto the counter to reach to slap him on the arm.  
  
“Ew! Gross, dude. Stop it!” she shrieked, but they were all laughing.  
  
Jesse relented, gasps of laughter as he stepped back with his hands raised in surrender. “Ok, ok! I’m just kidding. Jesus, Chloe, you better keep this one under control, she’s a wild one.”  
  
“Hmm, I’ll bet,” Chloe hummed, head tilted to the side and staring at Beca appreciatively. Beca found herself feeling way too warm and wishing she were wearing more layers. She tugged her jacket tighter around her chest and cleared her throat.  
  
“Ok, no way can I deal with this before I’ve had coffee. Hurry it up, Beale.”   
  
Chloe just saluted her with a click of her tongue, Jesse still snickering behind her, and Beca suddenly felt strangely grateful that she’d moved to Atlanta.

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, we decided to pull an Emily Junk and Beca Mitchell and collaborate on something awesome. We're pretty excited about it, so hopefully you are too.
> 
> Tumblrs - becafknmitchell & thegrimllama


End file.
